St. Expeditus: Patron Saint of Speedy Causes

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St. Expeditus:  Patron Saint of Speedy Causes The venerated image of St. Expeditus in  the Lipa Cathedral In the Metropolitan Cathedral of St. Sebastian in Lipa City is a venerated image of a young Roman Centurion saint named Expeditus. Every month of April, a nine day novena in his honor is held in the cathedral that culminates in the celebration of his feast day on the 19th of the month. Who is this saint whose intercession was also invoked in the Oratio Imperata  to avert a catastrophic eruption of Taal Volcano prepared by the Archdiocese of Lipa when the volcano exhibited extra-ordinary activity early  in January, 2020?  St. Expeditus could have found affinity with the Lipenos since the martyr shares a lot of commonality with St. Sebastian, the city’s patron. St. Expeditus, like St. Sebastian was also a young Roman soldier who converted to Christianity and was also martyred as a consequence, during the period of Diocletian persecution.  Hence, a devo...
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Homilies and Reflections: June 28, 2020. 13th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Cycle A - Filipino)

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Hunyo 28, 2020. Ika-13 Linggo sa Karaniwang Panahon 
Pagninilay sa Mabuting Balita ng Panginoon ayon kay San Mateo 10: 17-42 

Sa ating Mabuting Balita, nagbibigay si Hesus ng kondisyon kung papaano ba maging isang tunay na tagasunod Niya. At tila napakahirap ng mga kondisyon, kabilang na rito ang pagpapasan ng krus araw-araw. 

Bakit kaya marami ang ayaw sa krus? Ayaw natin ng krus sapagkat ang krus ay nangangahulugan ng kahihiyan? Sapagkat ito ay simbulo ng pagpapakasakit at paghihirap? 

Tama. Yan nga ang kahulugan ng Krus. Pero binago na ni Hesus ang kahulugan ng Krus ng ito ay kanyang buong pusong yakapin at ialay ang Kanyang buhay rito para sa iyo at para sa akin. Naghirap at nagpakasakit si Hesus ngunit siya ay muling nabuhay. Hindi natatapos sa paghihirap at kamatayan ang krus. Humahantong ito sa tagumpay.

Kaya sa mga tao ng muling pagkabuhay, ang krus ay hindi na instrumento ng pagpapakasakit bagkus ang krus ay imbitasyon para magmahal at magbigay. Ang ibigay ang ating sarili sa kapwa. Pinalalaya tayo ng krus sa ating pagiging makasarili. 

Sa isang Kristiyano, basic ang pagpapasan ng krus. Wala dapat Kristiyaong natatakot sa krus. Niyayakap niya ito. Iyan ang nais ng Diyos sa atin. Wag nawa nating tingnan ang krus bilang karagdagang pasanin na mabigat dalhin, bagkus, tingnan natin ang Krus bilang ating pamamaraan ng pakikiisa kay Kristo. Bilang isang pananagutan at tungkulin. Pakikiisa natin ito sa pagpapalaganap ng Kanyang Kaharian dito sa lupa. Tanda ng ating pagiging alagad. 

Ang krus ay ang iyong pangangako at pagtatakda sa sarili na araw-araw ay maging mas mabuti, mas maunawain, mas mapagpatawad, mas mapagbigay, mas maging mapagpasensya. Hindi madaling gawin ang pagpapakabuti – at yan ang krus na iniaatang sa atin ni Hesus na kailangan nating pasanin araw-araw. Iyan din ang maliit na baso ng malamig na tubig na iniaabot mo at di ipinagkakait kay Hesus at ang iyong paraan ng pagpapatuloy sa Kanya sa iyong buhay. 

Huwag kang matakot magbigay at magmahal. Sapagkat sa pagiging wala, sa pagiging kulang mo makikita ang pagpupuno ng Diyos sa iyong buhay. Harinawa, dalhin tayo ng ating pagpapasan ng krus sa mas malalim na pakikipag-ugnayan at pakikipagtagpo kay Hesus. Tunay na walang ibang daan patungo sa langit kung hindi sa pamamagitan ng landas ng Krus. Amen.

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